In the beginning…

From
Bill Hyde

Nigel Depledge notes that&colon; “Prior to 1859, the diversity and intricacy of life were often cited as ‘evidence’ for the existence of God” (23 April, p 29). Imagine an early man who has just about got language.

He’s resting on a rock noting a distant tree, silhouetted against the last moments of the setting sun. He thinks – that tree wasn’t in that place a few evenings ago.

So he makes some marks on a stick at arm’s length. And he continues observing and noting, like Gregor Mendel looking at his peas, Tycho Brahe looking at the stars, and many …